


Between the Sheets

by orphan_account



Category: Tsuritama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-22
Updated: 2013-05-22
Packaged: 2017-12-12 15:36:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/813189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Checking out his teacher is where he drew the line; thinking about running his hands through those vivid red locks is where he loudly drew the line.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Between the Sheets

“Nacchan, are you all right?”

Erika’s voice shot through his head like a bullet. The ringing in his ears was bad enough, he put up with his teacher’s droning all day; he didn’t need Erika talking directly in his ear. Even when she’s not being overly perky for once.

“You look a bit pale… should I take you to Sanada-sensei’s office?”

Leaning over his table, Erika looked genuinely concerned. It’s not like he didn’t appreciate it, but he really didn’t need people fussing over him. His eyes hurts and watching Erika bounce up and down on the balls of her feet in worry made it horribly worse.

“It’s fine. I’ll go by myself,” Natsuki said, shakily rising from his seat. “Tell Nagata-sensei, will you?”

The walk to the nurse’s office was painful. Hollow thuds of his footsteps resounded off the white walls, intensifying the pounding in his head. Maybe he should just pass out in the hallway or something. Walking all the way to the third floor seems like too much work with how  _fucking terrible_ he feels. And it’s not unlike Erika to visit him out of concern. She’ll find his body and lug him the rest of the way over.

Up the stairs and to the left, he slid the door open. With a soft mumble of “excuse me”, he stumbled inside.

A creak of a chair and a rustle, Natsuki saw a blur of red and white rush towards him. Warm hands on his shoulder, Sanada-sensei guided him to bed.

“Oh my,” he said, hand on Natsuki’s forehead. “You have quite the fever. Do you want me to phone your home?”

Bleary eyed, Natsuki lied on the bed, the harsh sunlight from the window filtered into the room, the light hitting against Sanada-sensei – a silhouette – and it hurts to look. He groaned and closed his eyes before turning on to his side.

“I don’t want to bother them,” Natsuki said. He really didn’t. Sakura’s at school and he really, really, didn’t want to see his father right now.

“Alright then. Just rest for now, Usami-kun.” Sanada-sensei closed the curtains around him and walked away, the rhythmic beats of his footsteps suddenly soothing, lulling Natsuki to sleep.

——-

When Natsuki woke up, the room was dark – long shadows cast over the floor, soft orange illuminating the edge of the railings. He got out of bed, and took  _one, two, three_  careful steps, surprised to find that the world wasn’t trying to throw him off its axis anymore. His fever seemed that it went down as well.

Pulling the curtains aside, he found Sanada-sensei asleep, head pillowed over his arms on his desk.  _Was he waiting for me?_  Natsuki gazed out of the window to see a clear view of the school clock tower – a good two hours past dismissal. Natsuki sighed; Sensei could’ve just woken him up…

“…Sensei?” Natsuki prodded him on the shoulder. Sanada-sensei’s face scrunched a little, but otherwise he didn’t stir. Natsuki took the time to look at the man – delicate fingers that touched him earlier, red hair that glowed under the afternoon sun, he looked…  _foreign_. Was he a half? Not that it mattered, but Natsuki was curious nonetheless.

It wasn’t  _bad,_ per say, being foreign. Usually Natsuki wouldn’t care, but Sanada-sensei looked captivating like this – wind from the open window breezing in, caressing his hair, red strands fluttering slightly – and Natsuki quickly stopped his train of thought because  _he shouldn’t be doing this._  Checking out his teacher is where he drew the line; thinking about running his hands through those vivid red locks is where he  _loudly_  drew the line.

Natsuki felt his face warm. He took a step back. One last look and he briskly walked out the door — in his mind, clearly pictured, Sanada-sensei’s warm, tender smile as he pulled the covers over Natsuki’s sleeping figure.


	2. Worth the Wait

Natsuki loved seeing Sanada-sensei –  _Yuki_ , he reminded himself – work. Careful caresses of his fingers as he tended to a student’s wounds, the gentle tug of his wrists when he pulled the covers – each movement showed tenderness, warmth, everything that made Yuki who he is. Affectionate, caring,  _sweet_.

He likes spending his time at the nurse’ office during break. There’s a marvel feeling in talking to Yuki that he couldn’t quite understand. Maybe it was his soft voice, or maybe it was the way he’d blush at the drop of the hat. Maybe it was just the chance to simply spend time with him. 

“I think I like you,” Natsuki said.

Yuki nearly dropped the pot he was moving from the windowsill.

“Usami-kun, t-that’s…” 

“I don’t care.”

Gingerly, Yuki put the plant down on his desk and made his way towards where Natsuki was seated. He bent down to his level and ruffled his hair. “I’m your teacher, though.” 

Natsuki took Yuki’s hand and brought it to rest on his cheek.

“I’ll wait until I graduate. Promise you’ll wait for me?”

 


	3. Over the Low Wall

“I found Yuki-sensei!”

He turned his head, just slightly to the open window near his desk. Black hair billowed in the wind, a soft smile adorning his face. Leaning against the windowsill, he stood, looking up to the man.

“Usami-kun,” he said. 

The boy pouts and leaned further in, “I told you, Natsuki’s fine.”

“Not when we’re at school.” Yuki put the papers in his hands down on the table. He stood up, and made his way to the boy. Full of warmth and affection, much to the other’s dismay at being treated like a child, he ruffled Natsuki’s hair.

“We’re alone now, though,” Natsuki protested.

The distant murmurs of the last students leaving the school accompanied the soft twilight glow that bathed over the building. A serene air left them together, with the teacher’s lounge empty save for Yuki, who stayed behind to file the last of his work. Still, the shyness that was ever present since his days as a child overcame him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Yuki muttered, cheeks turning a slight pink.

“You’re done, though, right?” Natsuki piqued, tilting his head. Then he reached out, fingers grazing the side of Yuki’s cheeks tenderly, lovingly, filled with eager patience. 

“Let’s go home together.”

 


	4. Distance Between

Natsuki stepped into the familiar room. Eggshell curtains, gray-lined ivory desks over off-white wall – the comforting, welcoming atmosphere the place used to hold now felt haunting. Draped over his shoulders it hung him down; his steps felt heavy. Searching through the pale colours he found striking red. By the window Yuki-sensei sat, looking out, the soft orange hue grazing his cheeks hair, cheeks – he was always so picturesque.

“Sensei,” Natsuki said quietly.

Yuki-sensei lifted his head from where he rested it on his palm and turned to him, smiling. Natsuki always liked his smiles, so gentle and warm and affectionate – but he didn’t like this one in particular, oddly tugged at the edges, almost forced, laced with sadness, and it hurt to look.

“You’re graduating, huh?” Yuki-sensei whispered, and then a little louder, “Congratulations.”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Natsuki blurted out.

The tension in the room rose – straining, almost. He didn’t hope to have this conversation. He didn’t feel the need to prepare for it. He thought Yuki-sensei would be happy for him but now…

“I kept my promise.” Yuki-sensei looked down and muttered, “But you’re going away.”

Yuki-sensei had to be difficult about it.

“I’ll write letters and visit.”

“It’s not the same.”

“You’re the one that told me to follow my dreams.” Natsuki made his way to where Yuki-sensei sat and knelt in front of him, taking the other’s hand in his.

Eyes cast away; Yuki-sensei wouldn’t look at him. A little to the right, a little bit downwards, he stared at an empty space. “America is far away, huh?”

Natsuki sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Yuki-sensei’s increasingly acting like a child and it was so much more trouble than it should be. Wasn’t he the one that pushed him away, didn’t want to fully accept his love as it is? Why was he acting like this?

“Distance wouldn’t change how I feel for you.”

Shoulders loosened a little, Natsuki could see Yuki-sensei relax, the usual embarrassed blush on his face.

_So that’s what he wanted to hear._

Simple assurance was all it took. He knew how Yuki-sensei was. Many shades of insecure, maybe a little closed off, somehow distant. Whenever they walked together, Yuki-sensei was always the one to reach out and hold his hand – assuring himself that,  _yes, Natsuki’s still here, he won’t leave._

“Promise?” he muttered, peering from under his bangs.

With a chuckle Natsuki leant up, kissing the man softly on the cheek. “You kept your promise, I’ll keep mine.”


End file.
